Environment

Amanda Farrell: All humans have the right to live in a healthy environment. However, this right is being affected by the actions of humans concerning the environment. For the past 20-30 year (or so), scientists have been discussing how humans are having an impact causing a rise in the sea level, water shortages, land slides, and other disastrous things. They have coined all these effects as global warming. The problem is that the people most affected by these effects are often desperate people or otherwise in need. When their right to live in a healthy environment is threatened by others around them, there is not much they can do. The effects usually result in the loss of everything they own. This is a major violation of their right.
However, some people are beginning to take action to advocate for the protection and conservation of the environment. This is becoming more evident as our society is striving to become more eco-friendly in order to try to reverse the effects of our actions. Poster that advocate for recycling etc.. are becoming more popular. The poster below is an example.

images.jpeg-Amanda FArrell
Companies are also beginning to show their support by creating eco-friendly clothing and packaging for their products. Websites like this http://www.ecofirms.org/ have even been created to help people find eco-friendly companies. This is how it should be done. To protect the human right to a healthy environment, we must all come together and show our support. If we do not work together, we will not gain any progress. We need to teach others around us about how to make an effort. The video below simply advocates for the environment (saving the environment saves lives!):
-A.Farrell
Others rightfully find ways to effectively advocate for environment as a human right. This site http://www.ehumanrights.org/ does this by bringing together lawyers and others who have been directly affected. Also, numerous articles have been written about the environment as a human right. This http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/books/BID1492.htm article is an example. Other discuss how social media can change the enviroment like Gina Bianchini in this http://vodpod.com/watch/2839894-bbc-digital-revolution-blog-rushes-sequences-gina-bianchini-interview-usa-video. It is not just the older/middle aged population that is being notified of this but children are also being taught about the importance of protecting the environment. This site is a kid-friendly environmental protection site. http://dnr.wi.gov/eek/ -A.Farrell

Environment


Environment.jpg - Connor Nicholas and Alex Dasilva


external image drought_2.png-George Domaille

What is global warming?



While some would call global warming a theory, others would call it a proven set of facts. Opinions differ vehemently. Let us consider global warming to be both a premise that the environment of the world as we know it is slowly, but very surely increasing in overall air and water temperature, and a promise that if whatever is causing this trend is not interrupted or challenged life on earth will dynamically be affected.
The prevailing counter opinion is that all that is presently perceived to be global warming is simply the result of a normal climactic swing in the direction of increased temperature. Many proponents of this global warming ideology have definitive social and financial interests in these claims.
Global warming and climate change are aspects of our environment that cannot be easily or quickly discounted. Many factions still strongly feel that the changes our Earth is seeing are the result of a natural climatic adjustment. Regardless of one’s perspective the effects of global warming are a quantifiable set of environmental results that are in addition to any normal changes in climate. That is why the effects of global warming have catastrophic potential. Global warming may well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. It could turn out to be the difference between a category three hurricane and a category four. Global warming as caused by greenhouse gas emissions can lead us to a definite imbalance of nature.
The premise of global warming as an issue of debate is that industrial growth coupled with non-structured methods we as humans use to sustain ourselves has created a situation where our planet is getting progressively hotter. We have seemingly negatively effected our environment by a cycle of harmful processes that now seem to be feeding upon themselves to exponentially increase the damage to our ecosystem.

- Sukrit S Puri


<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/94Qh0C3uUeU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/94Qh0C3uUeU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>- Sukrit S Puri


<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/94Qh0C3uUeU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/94Qh0C3uUeU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/94Qh0C3uUeU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/94Qh0C3uUeU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>- Sukrit S Puri


The Environment of the world is crucial for all global citizens to understand. People need to recognize the tragic catastrophes that are happening because people are not giving care and paying close attention to or environment. It is crucial for everyone to recognize their right live in a healthy environment. -Alex DaSilva


Below, is a video on what is happening to Earth's Environment:
-Alex DaSilva

Here is a video on Chevron's aid to help protect the environment (Ryan Horton)


The Water Project - focusing on the shortage of water -George D

Support Renewable Energy

One of the simplest ways you can have a direct impact on global warming and the environment is to help create more renewable energy sources. In the United States, we have an abundance of green power from wind, sun, hydro, geothermal, tidal, and some forms of biomass.
george domaille

Water Shortage is a large issue facing us today-GEORGE DOMAILLE



THis is so weird!!!






A picture of drought caused by global warming. external image Global-Droughts-Global-Warming-03.jpg-Linden Wallner







http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_V4w18ZWaPas/Sc7DAD3Ve-I/AAAAAAAAEPE/CEROCLKMhZo/s400/Global-Droughts-Global-Warming-03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cleanaircanada.blogspot.com/2009/03/37-of-droughts-caused-by-global-warming.html&usg=__1YSHsF72dY_v94L_f8LlXc9hQOc=&h=300&w=400&sz=19&hl=en&start=4&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=BMHnc4zbr7nB0M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddrought%2Bcaused%2Bby%2Bglobal%2Bwarming%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1I7DKUS_en%26tbs%3Disch:1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJAbATJCugs

This is a link to a Youtube video describing global warming. Obviosly, this is a major issue affecting our planet. Artic sea ice is shrinking. It's size has declined 10% over the last three decades. Floods can become more dangerous down the road. Droughts will occur more frequently. Fossil fuel consumption is likely to go up in the near future, especially as the bad economy comes to an end in the United States. People must do everything they can to use energy more efficiently and to make greater use of renewable energy. -Linden Wallner


http://ale1980italy.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/climate-change-2.jpg


http://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/~tbw/wc.notes/13.air.pollution/smoke.stack.pollution.jpg

http://coe.mse.ac.in/images/air%20pollution.bmp

Ian Burwasser: Global warming is more than just a political point of view. The truth is, many in the scientific community see some of the major changes in the earth's makeup as proof that the greenhouse effect, caused by human carbon emissions, is indeed a fact. Glaciers are melting. Animals are being forced from their habitats, and the number of droughts and severe storms such as hurricanes and tornadoes are increasing. If human beings continue to abuse our planet the future is bleak. Imagine a world with a huge population of insects like mosquitoes (which would lead to an increase in malaria) but without polar bears. Imagine California and New York City buried under the sea as melting glaciers cause the water level to rise. Imagine hurricanes such as Katrina, or typhoons such as the ones in Indonesia, becoming more and more commonplace.

It is possible, however, for global warming to be slowed if not eradicated. Education is the first step. Films like An Inconvenient Truth, online webinars, and commercials on television which offer public service messages about the simple things people can do to stem the tide are a start. But first, we have to make sure everyone believes that global warming is really happening.

IAN BURWASSER:
Websites
related to saving the environment
http://www.ipcc.ch/
http://www.manicore.com/anglais/documentation_a/greenhouse/IPCC.html
http://uc.princeton.edu/main/index.php/component/content/article/3164
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
http://www.climatecrisis.net/



Ian Burwasser:
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/polarbear-crisis.jpg
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/polarbear-crisis.jpg


A video discussing the effects of global warming on polar bears
Ian Burwasser: